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• How to weed through the conflicting information about Fukushima radiation and its impacts on Alaska waters

Alaskans have been worried about their seafood ever since the March 2011 Fukushima earthquake and Japanese nuclear plant problems. It’s understandable that Alaskans are concerned about the safety of the seafood, seaweed and marine mammals in the area. But Alaskans also should note that most of the information posted on social marketing sites just isn’t true.

FALSE IMAGE: TSUNAMI WAVES, NOT RADIATION: Many people have posted on social media that this NOAA map shows the path of 300 tons of radioactive material entering the ocean each day. This map really shows the probable tsunami wave heights from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.

One of the biggest examples of false information usually is accompanied by an official-looking map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a note that each day the map shows 300 tons of radioactive material entering the water each day. The map is an official NOAA map, but it doesn’t show radiation. It actually shows the probable tsunami paths from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. When in doubt, or even if not, don’t be afraid to consult one of the myth-debunker sites such as Snopes.com, which has the details on the real story behind this map.

The Sitka Local Foods Network has been following the situation since it happened, and we even posted an update in March 2012 in hopes of easing people’s worries (many of the links on this page have been updated). The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services also has a site with updates.

In recent weeks, Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D-Sitka) did some research, interviewing Dr. Ken Buesseler of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and one of the country’s top researchers on oceanographic radiation. Rep. Kreiss-Tomkins posted his findings in his Jan. 8 constituent newsletter, and that write-up also appeared in several Alaska publications such as the Alaska Dispatch.

Also in January, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Larry Hartig gave an update to the Alaska Senate’s Natural Resources Committee about what it’s doing to track the radiation, and he said so far the DEC hasn’t seen anything to cause concern. The Ketchikan website Stories In The News also had a follow-up story that included information from Hartic’s testimony and an update from Buesseler, who announced the launch of a new “How Radioactive Is Our Ocean?” website to help crowd-source information about what’s happening along the 5,000-mile Pacific coastline.

Taking things a step further, in January a couple of Seattle media organizations — KPLU and the Seattle Times — ran stories about Seattle fish-broker Loki Fish Co. ran its own tests on Alaska seafood. After the testing, the folks at Loki Fish Co. decided Pacific salmon is safe to eat.

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The Sitka Local Foods Network is proud to announce that the produce grown at St. Peter’s Fellowship Farm and sold at the Sitka Farmers Market has been awarded a Certified Naturally Grown designation. Click the logo for more info.

Thank you to the Sitka White Elephant Shop (the White E), which gave us a $1,500 grant in 2020, a $1,500 grant in 2019, and a $1,000 grant in 2018 so we can match produce purchases of up to $20 per market for SNAP and WIC beneficiaries at the Sitka Farmers Markets (click image below for more information)

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Thank you to the Alaska Comprehensive Cancer Partnership for sponsoring the Sitka Local Foods Network in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020

Thank you to SEARHC for sponsoring the Sitka Local Foods Network in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020

Thank you to the Harry Race Pharmacy (White’s Inc.) for sponsoring the Sitka Local Foods Network in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020

Thank you to the Sitka True Value for sponsoring the Sitka Local Foods Network in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020

Thank you to ALPS Federal Credit Union for sponsoring the Sitka Local Foods Network in 2018, 2019, and 2020

Thank you to Market Center for sponsoring the Sitka Local Foods Network in 2019 and 2020

Thank you to Sea Mart Quality Foods for sponsoring the Sitka Local Foods Network in 2019 and 2020

Thank you to First National Bank Alaska for sponsoring the Sitka Local Foods Network in 2020

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The Sitka Local Foods Network is proud to be featured in the Food Tank and James Beard Foundation 2014, 2015 and 2016 Good Food Org Guides. Click the images to learn more.

The Sitka Local Foods Network supports the work of the Alaska Food Policy Council

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